Gloria Tshilenge, Author at CENTRIA

Design Innovation

CENTRIA® Puts Color, Durability Front and Center with Launch of Impressions Coating System

Gloria Tshilenge December 29, 2020 at 2:33 pm 0

Moon Township, PA, December 14, 2020 – CENTRIA^®, leading innovator and manufacturer of the world’s most advanced building envelope wall and roof panels, is giving architects, specifiers and contractors a new tool to deliver both durability and aesthetics with the launch of the Impressions^® coating system. A pre-finished decorative paint system, Impressions is engineered specifically for steel and aluminum substrates.

Impressions provides superior scratch resistance; exceptional dirt and stain resistance; and remarkable protection from the sun, rain and other natural elements. It is applicable to a number of stainless steel and aluminum substrates.

The coating system simulates natural finishes, including woods and specialty metals. Substrates treated with Impressions also require less maintenance than those natural materials, which generates cost savings. In addition, Impressions adheres more readily to the metal and delivers greater color consistency, which results in a uniform appearance throughout the life of the building.

“Impressions takes our substrates to the next level by adding new finishes and additional protections,” said Julie Schessler, product manager, CENTRIA. “It provides greater versatility in color options and in its ability to simulate other materials. At the same time, materials finished with Impressions have an added barrier to ward off wear and tear, which pays off over time.”

Impressions coatings begin with the substrate. A Color Base Coat is added followed by fluoropolymer ink. Those layers are sealed with a clear topcoat made of resins for

thermal stability and chemical resistance. The total coating thickness is 1.1 mils (0.0011 inch) on the substrate.

Impressions is available in twelve patterns and colors.

For more information on Impressions, visit https://www.centria.com/products/coatings/coatings-systems/impressions-coating-systems.

Design Innovation

Have You Overlooked this Cladding Solution?

Gloria Tshilenge September 3, 2020 at 4:36 pm 0

In 1996, a young man named David Spathaky set a world record for keeping 108 plates spinning simultaneously on sticks scarcely larger than a pool cue.

That feat of poise, precision, and determination pales in comparison to the balancing act often faced by today’s commercial building architect.

Consider the building envelope, for example: Balancing the requirements of the owner’s vision, code, sustainability, budget, and design intent takes a special brand of resourcefulness and insight.

When selecting an envelope assembly, architects have to ask themselves: “Is the cladding ASHRAE 90.1 compliant?” and “What about the fire rating? Red list issues? Code? Transitions and details? Wind load? LEED objectives? Color fastness? Warrantability? Moisture and air barriers? Insulation? Installation ease?”

Maneuver through that thicket and you still face possible liability concerns should any question go sideways. That’s a lot of pressure and risk.

Few outside observers know those challenges better than Brandon Kinsey and Brian Finnegan, both regional architectural sales managers for CENTRIA, a large manufacturer of insulated metal panels (IMPs), a cladding system known for its crisp, engineered facades. Architects frequently consult with the veteran advisors on cladding matters. “We’re involved very, very early—when the design intent may be little more than ideas sketched on a napkin,” Kinsey says.

The challenge is that there are many cladding options today, including metal composite material, aluminum composite material, fiber cement, EIFS, terra cotta, zinc, brick, glass, and IMPs, to name a few. All have their merits. The differentiators, say Kinsey and Finnegan, often come down to specification confidence, simplicity, and budget. Each consideration plays well to IMP’s strengths:

Confidence. Specifying IMPs can safeguard the owner’s investment for many years. CENTRIA, for example, “… takes full cladding responsibility for everything from the inner vapor and air barrier to the exterior cladding. We’re on the hook for 20 years,” Finnegan says. CENTRIA IMPs also comply with all code requirements, including the NFPA 285 fire test standard.
Simplicity. IMPs are structural steel panels (not aluminum) with available panel sizes of up to 10 feet. That dramatically reduces the need for falseworks, saving considerable labor expenses, materials, and packaging waste. Red list-free foam is also integrated into some panels, offering insulation values of up to R-22. You can build right over stud material without extra barriers. Less wall assembly material means an inherently greener structure, which can be recognized with LEED points.
Budget. Architects seeking terra cotta, zinc, natural stone, masonry, or other high-end design effects will be pleased by what is possible with IMPs. The system’s broad use in large-scale projects such as stadiums, convention centers, schools, hospitals, government service, and aviation hangars illustrates the material’s exceptional value across many applications.

No cladding solution is perfect. Compare EPDs. Samples. Project histories. As you investigate alternatives, keep IMPs on the shortlist. IMPs merit special consideration on any project where confidence, simplicity, and budget are key to project success.

Learn more about designing and building with insulated metal panels.

Design Innovation, Sustainability

IMPs integral to nation’s first greenfield paper plant

Gloria Tshilenge August 11, 2020 at 3:32 pm 0

The opening of Sofidel America’s new, 1.7 million-square-foot manufacturing plant in Circleville, Ohio marks a major milestone for the Italian-based company’s growth in the United States. At 280 acres and nearly a mile in length, the production facility is the nation’s first greenfield paper plant and showcases a new level of technological advancement, energy efficiency and sustainability—thanks, in part, to a high-performance building envelope featuring well over 500,000 square feet of insulated metal panels.

Approximately 15,000 square feet of CENTRIA Formawall® insulated metal panels were specified, achieving the optimal balance of form and function at the building’s entrance.

“They wanted a good-looking building,” says Luca Oliphant, Project Manager, Gray Construction, the firm selected to design and build the new facility. “There’s a very nice office facility up front where we used the horizontal Formawall. This was designed to be a highly presentable location for partners and customers. It’s an architectural panel, installed horizontally with a smooth surface—more aesthetically pleasing overall.”

CENTRIA’s flagship line of insulated metal panels, Formawall combines unprecedented design freedom with unmatched performance. The product’s distinct profiles deliver unlimited design combinations and create the world’s most imaginative building envelopes with varying articulations, rhythms, and textures.

In addition to Formawall, the plant implements nearly 200,000 square feet of Style-Rib exposed fastener rainscreen panels and 5,000 square feet of IW Series concealed fastener rainscreen panels, installed in a soffit function.

Beyond performance and aesthetic considerations, insulated metal panels offered installation advantages to Gray Construction and IMP installer, South State Contractors. The project followed a rigorous construction schedule, allotting just over two years to complete the massive paper plant.

“[IMPs] go up a little quicker, and there’s a lot less effort and coordination involved,” Oliphant said. “The ease of installation and the effect on our schedule was an important factor.”

As one of the world’s largest manufacturers of paper products for hygienic and domestic use, Sofidel owns subsidiaries in 13 countries worldwide. The $400 million Circleville plant is the company’s largest investment to date, incorporating a paper mill where pulp is transformed into paper; a converting plant that produces the finished product; and a state-of-the-art warehouse.

“The Circleville plant has an incredible mix of insulated metal panels with multiple thicknesses, different insulations, and uses,” added Lisle Wade, President of Wade Architectural Systems, the CENTRIA dealer on the project.

The Sofidel Circleville, Ohio plant officially opened its doors in October 2018, though the facility kicked off limited production operations earlier in the year. According to Oliphant, the building owners were thrilled with the finished product—so thrilled, in fact, that preliminary plans for future expansion have already begun. And the concept for phase two also relies heavily on insulated metal panels as the product of choice.

Design Innovation

The Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center: Uniting A Team And Its Spirit Through Great Design

Gloria Tshilenge August 11, 2020 at 2:47 pm 0

The Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center — also serving as the Minnesota Vikings Team Headquarters and Practice Facility — exemplifies the team’s spirit, unity, and resilience. The building’s design echoes ancient Viking history, culture, country of origin, and is inspired by forms including Viking longships and intricate Viking jewelry. The team at Crawford Architects, the firm responsible for the design, intended to unite the spirit of the Vikings as ancient warriors with the present-day team’s relentlessness and strength and communicate this via the structure.

Because of its outstanding aesthetic, CENTRIA Formawall® high-performance building envelope was deemed the ideal product to fulfill Crawford Architects’ vision, simultaneously meeting stringent performance goals and enabling efficient construction.

The entire complex spans 40 acres, and a massive 546,488 total sf. CENTRIA Formawall insulated metal panels and IW Series rainscreen panels contributed to more than 225,000 sf of exterior cladding. The structure includes custom architectural overlays and the project was also awarded with a very aggressive schedule ; the entire team was able to meet the stringent goals in a timely fashion due to Formawall’s ease of installation.

“A highly flexible system, Formawall enabled us to achieve our ‘glacial’ design objective. And as a bonus, it offers standardized panel dimensions,” says Doug Osborn, Senior Associate, Crawford Architects. “The system is efficiently engineered to expedite the installation process, allowing essentially one pass around the building to create the desired aesthetic while fulfilling performance requirements via the weather barrier, thermal barrier, and vapor barrier.”

Additionally, Osborn adds, the product was the most flexible to work with and allowed the team to achieve very clean lines and a crisp, refined appearance across the building façade. This was due, in part, to the construction of the Formawall system, including the necessary flashings, sealants, and other components. “CENTRIA products consistently possess a high degree of quality, and we also appreciate the finished appearance of the Formawall design,” he says.

The Formawall system is designed to be high-performing and visually striking. For versatility, it consolidates up to six components found in common wall assemblies into one. The product’s five distinct profiles deliver unlimited design combinations and create the world’s most imaginative building envelopes. In addition, all Formawall products include a standard halogen-free foam core, thereby creating a more sustainable building environment while improving the product’s fire performance.

To match the elite skills and background of the Vikings, the facility was designed to be of top quality with cutting-edge amenities. As such, “the team has signed free agents that have commented that the lure of training at the Center was too great an opportunity to pass up,” Osborn adds, as a testament to the structure, its design, and its purpose. “And current players have opted to spend the offseason in Minnesota so they can access the facility’s amenities and continue to train.”

The facility has become a true home for the Minnesota Vikings, and those who work with them, and clearly achieved its goal of unity. The Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center and Minnesota Vikings Practice Facility and Team Headquarters was completed in March 2018. Crawford Architects provided design services and the general contractor was Kraus-Anderson Construction Company. The CENTRIA dealer and installer was IWR North America.

Design Innovation

CENTRIA Metal Panels Help Boeing Delivery Center Take Flight

Gloria Tshilenge August 11, 2020 at 1:42 pm 0

When designers and architects began envisioning the new Boeing South Carolina Delivery Center for Charleston, South Carolina, they knew it had to make a statement.

The building’s purpose was to better facilitate the handover of aircrafts to its customers. With this in mind, the center had to express luxury, strength and modernity.

Having these milestones in place at the outset, architects decided that CENTRIA metal panels were the ideal choice for the building’s exterior.

THE FLIGHT PLAN

The Boeing South Carolina Delivery Center would include several key elements: hospitality areas, offices for pilots and flight line staff and a behind-the-scenes TSA checkpoint.

When it came to the exterior, visual impact was key.

Designers wanted to emulate the idea of movement and exploration to telegraph the nature of flight. The design team turned to CENTRIA and its Formawall Dimension Series insulated metal panels for their aesthetic and inherent performance qualities.

CENTRIA’s Formawall high-performance building envelope system consolidates six wall components into one product, creating distinct architectural wall profiles to match any building design. The product can be installed in either orientation, vertical or horizontal, and enables designers to achieve an uninterrupted appearance thanks to concealed clips, fasteners and sealants along with the exclusive Insulated Metal Vertical Joints.

The panels feature a pressure-equalized side joint to help prevent water infiltration. Formawall also integrates with glass wall, window and louver systems to provide a complete envelop package and comes in a variety of sizes.

Formawall created plenty of flexibility in terms of how the exterior was fashioned for the Boeing Delivery Center. In the final design, flat panels are married with corrugated ones to simulate motion and momentum.

SMOOTH LANDING

The completion of the Boeing South Carolina Delivery Center made good on the “wow factor” being sought by the jet manufacturer. For Boeing’s customers, the facility has made the experience of picking up a new aircraft a special event.

Formawall Dimension Series

Sustainability

How Does a Declare Label Help Me Determine a Product’s Sustainability Credentials?

Gloria Tshilenge August 7, 2020 at 7:23 pm 0

When you are planning or constructing a new building, you know you will need to meet or exceed a sustainability mandate, a requirement that has become more important over the last two decades. Quite often, the particulars of that mandate come from a variety of sources, including building codes, local/regional ordinances and the desires of the building owner.

This means coming up with answers to important questions, ones that stretch well beyond what kind of energy efficiency a specific product is engineered to deliver.
What kind of products are being used to construct the building?
Are the materials used to manufacture the products safe for the people and the environment?
Are the products you are specifying able to be recycled after their life cycle has ended?
One challenge is, there is no uniform standard across the nation for much of this criteria

Meeting or exceeding the guidelines set by a third party – one that is widely recognized as a source of authority in the industry – enables you to demonstrate transparency and establish credibility for the materials you choose.

In essence, a Declare Label is a nutrition label for building products, a quick way to verify that what you’re using is reliable and promotes sustainability.

What’s on a Declare Label?

Developed by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), a Declare Label enables you to answer three important questions when you are considering a product for inclusion in your project: the product source location, the materials that make up the product, and how the product is treated at the end of its life.

Declare Labels provide lots of details, including the final assembly location of a product and end-of-life options. ILFI then publishes a full list of the product’s ingredients on a Declare Label, all provided by the manufacturer. This includes ingredients that come without restrictions and an analysis of what are called Red List chemicals (if they are present in the product).

Optional third party verification is available for Declare Labels, which demonstrates that a third party assessor reviewed what was provided by the manufacturer, including supply chain, purchasing, ingredient claims and more.

ILFI oversees a program called the Living Building Challenge (LBC), one of the most rigorous green and sustainable programs in the industry.

Projects seeking Living Building Challenge certification must have a minimum number of products with Declare Labels based on the size of the project.

What is a Red List Chemical?

Considered to be worst-in-class materials in the building industry, Red List chemicals are known to pollute the environment. Red List chemicals also have the propensity to reach toxic concentrations during the life of the product or have the ability to harm construction and factory workers, as well as building occupants.

Among the chemicals that make the list – asbestos, BPA, PVC, chlorofluorocarbons and formaldehyde.

Product Example: Intercept

CENTRIA, leading innovator and manufacturer of the world's most advanced building envelope wall and roof panels, manufactures Intercept, an example of a product that carries a Declare Label, demonstrating how it can contribute to the creation of a building that boasts sustainability credentials. The product received the designation in 2020.

Intercept is a modular metal wall panel system that provides design versatility by incorporating different substrates, depths, slopes, curves and perforations into an easy-to-install rainscreen.

Introduced in 2015, the flat, rectangular metal wall panel system can be applied over any sort of back-up wall system.

The product is 98.6 percent recyclable, has a 20-year finish warranty and can withstand the life span of the building when following proper maintenance procedures, and is Living Building Challenge-Compliant.

How Do You Achieve a Declare Label for a Product?

ILFI offers different levels of Declare Label certification - Red List Free, LBC-Compliant, and Declared, with Red List Free being the highest possible rating.

LBC-Compliant products are free of Red List ingredients but may be granted a temporary exception. For instance, some companies may list all but one or two proprietary ingredients when they are being examined for the possibility of a Declare Label. In essence, they are protecting their trade secrets while still demonstrating how their product makes the grade in terms of sustainability.

Products that receive a Declared certification may have a small trace of a Red List ingredient, but since the company has disclosed it for the sake of transparency, the ingredient is included on the label.

Transparency and Consistency

As someone designing or building a structure, you need to know what goes into the products that you have chosen for the project.
Products that carry a Declare Label provide you with the transparency necessary to make informed decisions on what makes sense for the project and how it can help you achieve certain sustainability benchmarks

Programs such as the Living Building Challenge and the Declare Label, combined with third-party verification, can provide you with the confidence necessary to move forward with one product or another
For all the progress made on achieving sustainability goals in the industry, the lack of a singular standard for everyone to follow generates a certain level of uncertainty.

The industry as a whole is inching closer to a uniform code for sustainability, one that would confirm universal criteria for healthy ingredients, recyclability, energy performance and more.

Such uniformity will bring value to everyone in the chain – architects, designers, specifiers, installers, building owners and manufacturers.

Ultimately, we would all know where we stand, how everyone’s products stack up, and how we can build better, safer environments

Manufacturers such as CENTRIA can help support the building sustainability requirements during the design phase of any project

Learn more about Declare Labels.
Learn more about Intercept from CENTRIA.

Design Innovation

CENTRIA®’s Expanded Line of Versawall Insulated Metal Panels Now Offering Greater Range of Options, Profiles

Gloria Tshilenge July 10, 2020 at 5:14 pm 0

CENTRIA®, leading innovator and manufacturer of the world’s most advanced building envelope wall and roof panels, is responding to the increasing demand for design flexibility from architects and building owners with an expanded line of its proven Versawall insulated metal panels (IMPs) for wall application.

Thanks to the company’s commitment to ongoing innovation, the lightweight panels now come in a full range of options, including:
• Versawall V, an embossed IMP that comes in Planked or Striated profiles.
• Versawall V+, offering a smooth version of Versawall V in Flat, Planked or Striated profiles and embossed Flat.
• The recently introduced Versawall H+, a smooth or embossed horizontal IMP in a Flat profile.

“Architects, specifiers and building owners have come to understand that CENTRIA’s Versawall panels deliver everything they seek in a building envelope solution – ease and efficiency of installation, energy performance to meet today’s strict building codes, and the aesthetic appeal that can create a design signature for structures such as warehouses, industrial facilities, schools and shopping centers,” said Julie Schessler, product manager at CENTRIA. “With Versawall V+ and Versawall H+, we’ve expanded the applicability of this product line, giving key decision makers more options in terms of aesthetics and orientation.”

Along with the various finishes available, Versawall comes in long lengths for more efficient installation. The increased span capability reduces support steel requirements,
and a thermal break between the face and the liner saves energy. A factory-applied panel joint sealant combined with a field-applied sealant create an air and vapor barrier that provides outstanding weather resistance. Versawall can also be used for interior partitions.

Versawall

Design Innovation

CENTRIA® Delivers Greater Versatility, Proven Performance with Introduction of Versawall H+® Insulated Metal Panels

Gloria Tshilenge June 26, 2020 at 5:04 pm 0

CENTRIA^®, leading innovator and manufacturer of the world’s most advanced building envelope wall and roof panels, is providing additional flexibility to designers, architects and specifiers with the introduction of the Versawall H+^® Insulated Metal Panel. It is the latest expansion to CENTRIA’s Versawall product line, a family of commercial and industrial insulated metal panels that deliver the industry’s best combination of aesthetics, performance, sustainability, and value.

“Today’s designers and architects are in search of options that enable them to bring their vision to life and exceed their client’s expectations all at once,” said Julie Schessler, product manager, CENTRIA. “The new Versawall H+ is an attractive, energy-efficient wall panel option that is engineered for buildings where a horizontal profile is more desirable.”

Comprised of a galvanized steel face and foam insulation, the Versawall H+ is strong yet lightweight, creating efficiency in the installation process. The panels also deliver superior weather resistance and moisture protection. From a design perspective, the panels enable architects to create a sleek, modern look for large-scale buildings that have lower, wider profiles, including warehouses, schools, and shopping centers.

The Versawall H+ is available in modules of 30 and 36 inches and in two- and three-inch thicknesses. Panels can be manufactured in a wide variety of finishes and colors.

Formawall

Gloria Tshilenge

THE FLIGHT PLAN

SMOOTH LANDING

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